Jasper h



(No Model.)

J. H. SINGER.

TOY THBATRIGAL STAGE.

WQ in esses 3w 7W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TOY T H EATRICAL STAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,798,

dated May 15, 18 83.

Application filed February 12, 1683. (No model.)

To all who-writ may concern:

Be it known that I, JASPER H. SINGER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Toy Theatrical Stages, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to that class of devices intended to represent theatrical stages for childrens toys, and in which there is a foundation to represent the floor of the stage, formed of a piece of wood of the proper size to represent the floor, say twelve inches square,

for that matter, and of sufficient thickness to receive grooves for the support of the scenes, or various portions of the scenery, to be held in proper position to represent the scenery as set.

This invention, however, consists in forming some of said grooves or slots, especially those intended for the side scenesor wings, in each end of said block or foundation, of the exact distance required for the said scenes to be located when in proper position to represent the views they are intended for, and a similar set of grooves, like inortises, are formed in the front edge to support the arch or proscenium, the result of which construction is that there is no liability to make any mistake in putting these several parts together, and also support them in their proper position, so thatthey are not liable tobe shifted or moved out of the way in shifting or operating the rest of the scenes, which are moved to and fro in grooves in the ordinary manner.

The drawing represents in perspective the foundation-and a portion of the scenery as located for setting a stage, A being a block, which serves as the floor, and in which the grooves for the scenes are shown at 13, extendin g entirely across, so that the scenes that are intended to be shifted can be moved from one side of the stage to the other as desired, At

(3 is the arch or proscenium, which may be made of thin sheets of wood and painted with any views desired, or preferably of pasteboard, on which lithographic views may be pasted, and the lower ends of this arch are inserted in slots cut in the block A, as represented at D, and which are cut to only the required depth necessary to receive the feet of the arch, so that it is prevented from shifting either to the right or left. The wings or side scenes are rep resented at E, and they are also supported in slots, as at F, which hold them in an upright position, and which also prevents them from being moved inward or toward the center of the stage any farther than required for their proper position. The back scene is repre- -sentcd at G, and is supported in a groove at H, as represented in the drawing, which is of the ordinary form. These various scenes may have views of different kinds on their opposite sides, as in the present well-known form of such toys, and therefore need not be further explained.

What I desire to claim as my invention is- 1. As an article of manufacture, a toy theatrical stage consisting of a foundation, a proscenium, and side scenes or wings, combined and supported at certain definite fixed points, as hereinbet'ore set forth.

2. The foundation for a toy theatrical stage, formed with grooves running the entire length for the shifting scenes, and with intermediate slots extending only the required distance to receive and supportthe wings, as hereinbefore set forth.

Witness my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JASPER H. SINGER. Witnesses:

HERMAN T. (J. KRAUS,

EUGENE N. ELIOT. 

